~ Exploring the Aesthetics of Food and Wine

Why?

“We can turn water into wine in 15 minutes.” So claims the Ava Winery, a San Francisco start-up that is making synthetic wine without grapes – simply by combining flavour compounds and ethanol.

They’ve made a synthetic wine to mimic a Moscato d’Asti. The lucky somm who got to blind taste it against a Ruffino described the flavor as “essence of plastic bag”.

They are now making synthetic Dom Perignon which they will sell for $50 a bottle—because essence of plastic bag with bubbles is so much better.

I’m all in favor of science experiments but these people seem serious. I suppose someday they will make a wine to compete with the swill that sells for $4 per bottle, which they will sell for $3.50 and call it progress.